I'm coming out now. - Democratic Underground

stevedeshazer

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Mon Feb-11-08 08:35 PM
Original message

I'm coming out now.

from "Meeting with the Devil at the Crossroads"

A "vision", as told by Henry Goodman

"You know where you are, Robert Johnson? You are standing in the middle of the crossroads. At midnight, that full moon is right over your head. You take one more step, you'll be in Rosedale. You take this road to the east, you'll get back over to Highway 61 in Cleveland, or you can turn around and go back down to Beulah or just go to the west and sit up on the levee and look at the River. But if you take one more step in the direction you're headed, you going to be in Rosedale at midnight under this full October moon, and you are going to have the Blues like never known to this world. My left hand will be forever wrapped around your soul, and your music will possess all who hear it. That's what's going to happen. That's what you better be prepared for. Your soul will belong to me. This is not just any crossroads. I put this "X" here for a reason, and I been waiting on you."

Oh, the gnashing of teeth. The snide comments. The virtual fistfights in GD-P.

Every damned day a pissing match. Hell, a hundred pissing matches. Clinton supporters pummeled. Obama supporters pounded.

Black vs. white.

Women vs. men.

Experience vs. youth.

A huge influx of newcomers who, unsurprisingly, seem singularly bent on nothing less than the complete destruction of the candidate they oppose.

And that's just since this morning.

Many long-time DUers like me were completely alienated by the obvious infestation of campaign hacks and political operatives posting some of the most spiteful and facetious bullshit possible from all sides. Like many, I posted the obligatory "I Quit" thread that so many here have done before.

Primary season. Argh.

But, like watching a multi-car pileup, I could not turn away. I came back to watch, but mostly stayed quiet and observed.

I watched my favorite candidates fall by the wayside. Dennis was ignored by the media and celebrated, even here, as some kind of freak, a 'garden gnome' to be joked about and ridiculed. His positions for universal health care, an immediate end to the occupation of Iraq, and the instant cancellation of NAFTA and GATT were ignored, because the shallow, unthinking and much too cynical posters could not resist making the kinds of jokes directed by third graders. Congratulations, cynics, you got your way. You even gave so-called awards to these threads.

Next was John. After all, his house is MUCH too large. He has perfect hair, and is a <gasp> Trial Lawyer! My God, he may even have used his wife's terminal cancer as sympathy for his campaign. Then, inexplicably, he caved. I'd still like to know the reason why.

Now, it's Barack. He doesn't stand for anything. Change is just a buzzword. He's black. Wait! He's not black enough! Flash in the pan. By this time, I am sure the game is rigged.

But, let me be quite clear.

God herself knows how much I want to support a woman for President. My mom is eighty years old and a life-long Democrat. I want her to live to see it.

My wife will be sixty this year and worked her ass off to reach her career goals. The baby boomers among us all know how hard these women of our generation had to work; still, women make less than men. It is killing her to see this disparity.

And, my dear daughter. She's twenty-eight, same age as Chelsea Clinton. I know how much this means to her.

I so much want to take that step back. But, I just can't.

Yep, this is the crossroads for me.

I can't walk backwards.

Today, I'm Robert Johnson.

I'm headed for Rosedale.

"I got to have that sound, Devil-Man. That sound is mine. Where do I sign?"

The man says, "You ain't got a pencil, Robert Johnson. Your word is good enough. All you got to do is keep walking north. But you better be prepared. There are consequences."

I'm supporting Barack Obama.